1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Marx generators and, more particularly, to an improved capacitor and associated capacitor mounting arrangement for such Marx generators.
2. Related Art
X-ray machines that generate X-rays from cold field emission of electrons from the cathode of an X-ray tube are commonly employed in pulsed shadowgraph radiographs. Pulsed or flash shadowgraph radiograph was developed in 1938 as a means for observing extremely rapid motion where the subject was obscured from observation with visible light or debris. To date, flash radiography remains the principal means of observing lensed implosions and ballistic impacts over microsecond and nanosecond time scales. The majority of these X-ray systems utilize the well known Marx generator which can be viewed as a distributed transmission-storage line, consisting of n-cascaded high-voltage ceramic disc capacitors, made of barium titanate, strontium titanate or any other suitable material that has a high dielectric constant. To produce X-rays, the Marx generator is coupled to a field emission X-ray tube either directly or by coaxial cables.
While previous Marx generator systems have performed satisfactorily, the high performance demands and high costs of such systems dictate that any substantial improvement in performance or reduction in cost can be quite important. In this regard, while the disc capacitors referred to above adequately serne their intended purposes, the present invention, as explained below, provides important advantages regarding the capacitors per se as well as the mountings therefor.